studio 27 architecture
washington, d.c.

Designed for a Sudanese businessman with interests in both the U.S. and his home country, this family compound responds sensitively to local cultural and climatic conditions. Rooms and courtyards, which connect via open-air walkways, reflect the traditional separation of men’s and women’s domains and a highly structured intimacy gradient. High walls and covered walkways provide shade in the hot, dry climate, while the vented roof structure captures prevailing winds. “It’s something more contemporary that’s building off of a tradition,” remarked one judge, who called the result “empathetic without being patronizing.”